THE next meeting of Barry & Vale Friends of the Earth will be on Tuesday, November 4, at 7.30pm in the Castle Hotel, Jewel Street, Barry.

Thinking globally we have recently seen flash floods in Athens and Genoa, washing cars down the street; drought in many areas and El Nino about to hit South America, whilst scientists are warning about the rapid acidification of our seas.

Thinking locally Friends of the Earth are not convinced that the Merthyr Dyfan Lagoon for the Coldbrook catchment area will prevent flooding. The complete clearance of all trees and bushes in the field was both brutal and total.

The Vale council should amend for this destruction of biodiversity by improving other areas in Barry, such as Cemetery Road. The new housing development at White Farm may have won awards, but these were not for environmental measures such as tree planting and installing surfaces which absorb water.

The Group are sorry to see houses being built on Wenvoe valley's green fields. They hope that no more of Barry's green belt will be lost to random development. With the second Waterfront development going ahead, the Group hope that the Docks will become a centre for water based activities, with an extension to the small nature reserve.